Speed-teller light switch



Dec. 31, 1940. saucy 2,226,785

SPEED TELLER LIGHT SWITCH Filed Dec. 8, 1958 lnraMian 34.- INVENTQR if/ 0 I HY a ,9

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 31, 1940 UNITED STATES PATEN OFFICE 5 Claims.

invention relates broadly to signalling systemsjand more particularly to a signalling system to warn a motorist when a predetermined speed i has been reached.

An important object of my invention is to provide a device to warn a motorist when he is exceeding a predetermined speed.

' Another object of my invention is to provide a device that may be readily noticed by the motorist.

Yet another object of my invention is to'provide a signalling device that can be adapted to any type of motor vehicle.

A further object of my invention is to provide a signalling means that will warn a motorist when he passes an initial predetermined speed, and which will also give warning when the motorist, has attained a second predetermined speed.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a signalling system that is simple in construction, efficient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

Inthe accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device, and showing its association with an automobile engine,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line '2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates an engine block provided with the conventional drive shaft extending forwardly thereof and with the fan! rotatably mounted on the end of the drive shaft.

My device is adapted to be disposed rearwardly of the fan and actuated by the same in a manner hereinafter described. .The support 8 is mounted on the forward end of the engine block and comprises a horizontally disposed flange 9 having arcuate arms co-extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, and joined at their ends by a transverse brace I ll. Bolted or otherwise secured to the inner face of the brace I0, and extending the full lengththereof, is a bar I I having pivotally attached to its lower edge a pendent vane I2. Disposed rearwardly of the bar II, and insulated therefrom by strips I4 and I5, are supporting members I3 and I6 formed at their bottom edge with rearwardly extending stops I1 and I8 which support the contact strips I9 and respectively. The upper ends of the contact strips I9 and 20 are hingedly secured to the upper ends of the supporting members and the lower ends 2| and 22 of the strips eigtend a substantial distance beyond the stops I1 and I8 and in contactual relation with contacts 23 and 24 carried by the pivoted vane I2. 26 maintain the contact strips I9 and 20 detachably engaged with the stops I1 and I8, as illustrated in Figure 2. I

Electrically connecting the contact strips I9 and 20 are lead wires 21 and 28 which have lamps 29 and 30 inserted in series therewith, and connected through the lead 3| to a source of power 32. The motor block will comprise a common ground for the electric circuit hereinbefore described. The lamps 29 and 30 are preferably of different colors and adapted to be illuminated at different speeds of the vehicle thereby letting the motorist know when he has passed an initial predetermined speed, and also when he has reached a second predetermined speed. As illustrated in Figure 4 the contact 23 is longer than the contact 24.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the motor is in operation, the blast of air generated by the fan I will be directed against the front surface of the pendent vane I2 which is disposed rearwardly thereof, and cause the same to be pivoted rearwardly. When the velocity of the blast of air is sufficiently great, the longer contact 23 will meet the contact strip I9 and close a circuit through the lead wire 28, light 30 and to the source of power 32. The support 8 is grounded to the engine block. The light 30 is disposed on the dash, of the automobile, or in any suitably prominent place where it will be im- Springs 25 and" to close at exactly the desired speed, and it is evident that as soon as the vehicle is brought to a speed below which the signalling system is operative the pendent vane l2 will drop and break the connection between the contacts 23 and 24 and contact strips I9 and 20 thereby causing the lights 29 and 30 to be extinguished.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A fan influenced switch means for progressively energizing electric circuits in a predetermined sequence comprising a pivoted contact strip for each of the said circuits arranged rearwardly of and in confronting relation to the fan; spring means urging the contact strips in the direction of the fan; and a pivoted vane interposed between the contact strips and the fan, said vane carrying a plurality of contact elements of varying lengths each exclusively engageable with a selected one of the contact strips, whereby a blast of air from the fan of predetermined velocity will move the vane to first bring the longest of the contacts into engagement with its respective strip to close its respective circuit and a blast of air of another predetermined and greater velocity will then cause the above contact to move its contact strip against the action of the said spring means to efiect engagement of other of the contact elements with their respective contact strips to also close their respective circuits.

2. A fan influenced switch means for progressively energizing electric circuits in a predetermined sequence comprising a pivoted vane mounted behind the fan; a separate pivoted contact strip for each of the electric circuits arranged rearwardly of the vane, said strips being spring pressed in the direction of the vane; and contact elements carried by the vane, each of said contact elements being adapted to exclusively engage a predetermined one of the contact strips by movement of the vane when a blast of air from the fan is directed thereagainst, a blast of predetermined velocity effecting engagement of one of the contact elements with its respective contact strip to close its respective circuit, and a blast of greater velocity causing the above contact element to move its respective contact strip without breaking the said first circuit in a manner to bring other of the contact elements into engagement with their respective contact strips to additionally close other of the circuits.

3. A fan influenced switch means for progressively energizing electric circuits in a predetermined. sequence comprising a pivoted vane disposed rearwardly of the fan; spaced contact elements of varying lengths carried by the vane;

and a pivoted contact strip for each of the electric circuits arranged rearwardly of the vane, said strips being spring pressed in the direction of the vane and each of the contact strips being adapted to be exclusively engaged by one of the contact elements whereby a blast of air of predetermined velocity generated by the fan will effect movement of the vane to first bring the longest contact element into engagement with its respective contact strip to close its respective circuit, and whereby a blast of greater velocity will cause the above contact element to move its respective contact strip without breaking the closed circuit in a manner to bring other of the contact elements into engagement with their respective contact strips to additionally close other of the circuits.

4. A fan influenced switch means for progressively energizing electric circuits in a predetermined sequence comprising a support mounted on the motor rearwardly of the fan; a vane pivoted to the support and adapted to be actuated by the current of air generated by the fan; stop members projecting rearwardly from the support; a contact strip for each of the electric circuits pivoted to the support; spring means urging the contact strips in the direction of the vane and against the said stop members; and contact elements of varying lengths carried by the vane, each of the contact elements being adapted to exclusively engage one of the contact strips, whereby a current of air of predetermined velocity generated by the fan will effect movement of the vane to bring the longest contact element into engagement with its respective contact strip to close its respective circuit, and whereby a current of greater velocity will cause the above contact element to move its respectve contact strip without breaking the closed circuit in a manner to bring other of the contact elements into engagement with their respective contact strips to additionally close their respective circuits.

5. A fan influenced switch means for progressively energizing electric circuits in a predetermined sequence comprising a support mounted rearwardly of the fan; stop members carried by the support and projecting therefrom in a direction away from the fan; a contact strip for each of the electric circuits pivoted to the support; spring means urging the contact strips against the stop members and in the direction of the fan; and a vane pivoted to the support and depending therefrom intermediate the stop members and the fan, said vane carrying a plurality of contact elements each of which being adapted to exclusively engage one of the contact strips by movement of the vane when a current of air from the fan is directed against the vane, a current of predetermined velocity effecting engagement of one of the contact elements with its respective contact strip to close one of the circuits, and a current of greater velocity causing the above contact element to move its respective contact strip against the resilient action of the spring means without breaking the closed circuit in a manner to bring other of the contact elements into engagement with their respective contact strips to additionally close their respective circuits.

ARMAND M. SOUCY. 

